Double Stroller: Take 2

Here we are again. The double stroller dilemma. I have decided I'm ready to take the plunge to get a double jogging stroller. Now to decide which one is key. I wasn't sure if I'd want one before MB was here, but now that she is, I'm seeing I would actually use it lots. The main thing I hope to use it for is walks/jogs with the kids. Now don't get me wrong - I'm not a huge runner, but it'd be nice to have something I could run with should I happen to get chased by dogs feel the inspiration. However, because these things are just a little pricey, it will be our only double stroller, so I'd like it to be "multi-functional", as much as possible. Meaning, if I wanted to take it into the mall, I wouldn't need an escort from mall security with a "wide load" sign on the front of his Segway.

After researching, asking different people, and agonzing way too much, I think I've narrowed it down to two choices:

 Phil and Teds Explorer Stroller with Doubles Kit

Bob Revolution Duallie SE Stroller

There are SO many options out there but these seem to be the ones with the best reviews. So. If you have either of these, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Or if you have a different double jogger you love, I'd like to hear about it too. I do have some concerns that Manny won't ride in the bottom seat of the Phil & Ted's until Maeva is big enough to ride back there (if I'm understanding the way it works correctly.) So please share your thoughts. Or make the decision for me. I'm driving myself (and Patrick) crazy. And I promise to never post about strollers again. :)

Manny's 2nd Birthday Party

Manny turned 2 on May 17th, but due to the birth of his sweet little sister, his birthday party was a little delayed. After much agonizing back and forth, I swallowed my mommy guilt and decided to just throw him a little family party. Yes, I'm aware he doesn't care, but I still had a hard time arriving (peacefully) at that decision. Plus I really do enjoy throwing a party, so was kind of bummed to miss out on planning something this year. And that statement alone is proof that I was doing this more for me than him. :) But this was the best decision given our lives right now, and it turned out to be a great choice.

We decided to have a joint birthday party for Manny and my sister's son, Zeke, at my parent's house last weekend. We went with a theme of cars & trucks, and just used lots of bright colors for decorations. We ordered the cupcakes from SAM's. They are like $13 for 30 cupcakes and they taste really good!

I designed and printed cupcake toppers, and also cut cupcake wrappers with my Cricut. We ended up not using all the cupcake wrappers though because they were too tall for the cupcakes, so they didn't sit right in the stand and I didn't feel like cutting them all down at that point. I picked up a pack of little cars in the party favor section at Hobby Lobby, and set those on top of some of the cupcakes too.

My sister saw this idea on Pinterest, and I thought it was so cute! I found these trucks at Toys R Us for $2 and the cupcake fit perfectly in it.

When I saw this banner at Target for around $5, I knew it was the way to go. I loved the colors and prints, and the fact that it was already assembled meant less work for me. I picked up two banners, and cut the letters out with my Cricut to add to it. The lanterns are also from Target. They also had some cute striped ones but I decided they were too much with the banner.

I also got the plates at Target, and the napkins are from Wal-Mart but coordinate perfectly.

I didn't really get a good picture of them in their outfits I made, but they looked so cute. As I'd hoped, you couldn't really tell the imperfections (that much) once they had them on.

The boys had fun opening presents, and I was cracking up at Zeke. He had his tongue out the whole time.

Manny surprised me when it came time for cake. He was so shy and did not care much for being sung to. Luckily Gabi was nearby to save the day. Once the singing was over, he was happy to just play with his truck. He did eat some of the cupcake, but didn't dig into quite as much as I thought he would. Especially given the epic meltdown that occurred when I picked the cupcakes up from SAM'S and he proceeded to wail "Caaaaaaaaake!!!" and flop around like a fish out of water the whole time we were standing in line to pay for them.

Zekey, on the other hand, was all business. He had a great time diving into his cupcake. He was less than thrilled when they tried to take it from him though. :)

While all of this was going on, my niece Laci was taking care of Maeva. She is SO in love with her and it's just adorable to see her hold her. She is actually really good at calming her down!  

And of course, we had to try for a family picture. We were exhausted and not feeling well, so it probably wasn't the best idea, and we gave up after 4 attempts. Can I just say though that Patrick had his eyes closed in ALL 4 of those?! He is the worst at that...so funny.

So there you have it! My baby boy is "officially" 2 and I can check his birthday party off my list. Now to decide on a theme for next year so I can start planning! Just kidding. Or not.

Maeva's Birth Announcement

I have finally mailed most of Maeva's announcements, so I thought I'2012/06/maevas-newborn-pictures.html" target="_blank">newborn pictures, Susan from Tulip Tree Photography did a phenomenal job...I love love love all of these images! I had such a hard time designing these for some reason...I think I just obsess when I design things for myself. But I am pleased with how they came out in the end. I had them printed on pearlescent stock and think they looked so pretty. 

{front}

I just LOVE this picture of Maeva. It was so neat watching Susan pose her for it. She was so patient and took her time getting Maeva situated and her head steady. I was super impressed!

{back}

We didn't have much luck with Manny posing for pictures, but she still managed to get 2 decent shots. I had decided at the beginning of my pregnancy that no matter how down I felt about myself, I would swallow my pride and be in a newborn family picture. And I'm glad I did. 


I shared one similar to this already, but I absolutely love this one of her in the doctor's bag. This was a pose Susan had on her website, and when I saw it, I knew I wanted a shot of MB like this. I am having it printed on a canvas and it will go in one of Patrick's patient rooms. I just love it. :)

I forgot to take a picture of one actually printed, but here is what I designed for the label. They were the exact width of the envelope.

I can't believe my little baby will be 6 weeks old tomorrow! She has changed SO much and I really need to get a one month post written on her before she's already 2 months old. Poor little second child. :)

Project 366: Week 24

Friday Fragments

--Thanks for all the feedback on the glasses! E was the hands down winner, with the blue frames being the runner up. I'm still unsure about any of them really. I'm going to wear them around some family this weekend and see their reaction before I decide if I even want to order any. But I really do appreciate your honesty and feedback! Even those of you who didn't like any of them...that is exactly what I wanted to know, so thanks. :) 

--We're going up to my parent's this weekend, and will be celebrating Manny's birthday! We're going to have a joint birthday party with my sister's son, Zeke, who turned 1 in May. It's going to be simple and low-key, and I know Manny will love it simply because he will be with his cousins. I've been going back on forth for a long time on what I wanted to do for his party, and this was kind of a last minute decision. So I decided to try my hand at making a shirt for the party. I bought a used embroidery machine several months ago and am finally starting to learn how to operate it. That is a whole other post of it's own. But I managed to make matching shirts for Manny & Zeke...just don't look too closely please. :) Manny's truck looks like it's headed downhill, and Zeke's looks like it's headed uphill. So yeah, I still have a ways to go on figuring this out, but you gotta start somewhere!

--To prepare for our trip, I've been packing. And Manny has been busy going through Maeva's closet while I pack. He is SO fascinated with her stuff for some reason! He was trying to put on a onesie earlier, then moved on to a tub of Baby Legs he found. He was getting frustrated trying to get them on, so he asked me for help with it. I helped get the one on his arm on, and also one on his leg. Then I continued packing, and he was in the closet (with the doors closed, per usual). And when I opened the door, he had quite the ensemble! I put him down for a nap a few minutes ago and he did not want to take them off, but I made him. I guess the dress up stage is beginning? :) Here is a little video I took after I found him dressed up, and went to get my phone. Of course when I came back he was standing on the stool talking to sister.

--When I posted this picture of Manny in my Project 366 post and mentioned the free Target popcorn, I got a lot of questions asking where to get free popcorn at Target. I don't know how I knew this, but I believe most Target snack bars give free popcorn to kids. I always just go up and say that I want a kids popcorn, and they serve it in the smallest drink cup they have. I've tried this out at several different stores, and only had one ask what I was talking about. When I told her, she said okay and gave it to me...but who knows if this is an official deal? Good luck. :)

Have a wonderful weekend friends!!

The One in Which I Try to Be Trendy

So. I am in desperate need of new glasses. And I ALWAYS have buyer's remorse when I get new glasses. Always. Why I never take anyone with me for an opinion...I don't know. When I get home, I feel like they look so different than they did in the store, and I hate what I chose, so never really wear them.

My best friend has always been so fashion forward. Like, wears a trend before it's a trend, and I think hmmm...I don't know about that, but it still looks good on her. Then a year later, I find myself buying/wanting the same things I was questioning. The thing is...she can always pull off different stuff. I, on the other hand...well, I mostly look like a huge dork.

Several months ago she got some blue glasses, and of course they looked amazing on her. When I saw them, I thought to myself that maybe one day I'd be cool enough to pull them off. And it looks like that day has come. Maybe.

The brand of glasses she was wearing is Warby Parker. It's a really unique and affordable line of glasses that have become quite the thing. The frames are only $95, including prescription lenses. On top of that, for every pair purchased, a pair is distributed to someone in need. So it seems like a pretty cool company. When I told Candice (my BFF) that I was ready to take the plunge, she told me about their at home try-on program. You pick 5 pairs of glasses, and they ship them to you (for free!) so you can try them out before deciding. They also cover return shipping. Mine arrived via 2 day UPS, so it was a very quick process. And now that they're here, I need your help!  

I'm not gonna lie...when I first tried these on, I could not stop laughing. Nor could Patrick. And I'm pretty sure in picture D, I'm wearing the same frames that LeBron James has. I tweeted that these had come in, and everyone wanted to see pictures...but I was too chicken. I did note that it's confirmed...I'm not cool enough to wear nerdy glasses and look cool. Instead I might just look like I dug up my glasses from 4th grade. But here I am a day later, plastering my mug on the internets. I blame it on the sleep deprivation.

 

So weigh in, please. Are they all laughable? Or any possibilities? I'd love to hear your thoughts! In the meantime, I'll be covering my face with a throw pillow while dying of embarrassment.

Project 366: Week 23

Maeva's Birth Story: Part 2

When I ended part 1 of Maeva's birth story, I was 7 cm dilated and had been given an hour to progress or it was back for a c-section. Well wouldn't you know when they checked me around noon, I was a 9+! I think we were all shocked when the nurse told me that. My doctor came in after he heard I'd progressed and was joking with us saying he heard the governor issued me a reprieve. We were very thankful for the progress, and now things were getting VERY real!

At that point, I decided not to press the epidural button anymore as I really was afraid of not being able to push good when the time came. Some nurses and the resident came in to have me do some practice pushes, and then they let me rest for a little bit. Shortly thereafter, my doctor walked in and announced it was time to have this baby! I wasn't expecting him to say that just yet, but was excited nonetheless. I pushed for about 25-30 minutes, but it was slow going. She was still pretty high, and on top of that, she was OP (face up), which makes the delivery even harder. My doctor was able to reach in and turn her before delivery so she ended up delivering face down. As I mentioned, she was still pretty high and my pushes weren't getting the job done so they tried to get her out using the vacuum. Unfortunately that didn't work, so they ended up putting on the forceps, and that did the trick!

 

It was time to push again, and suddenly she was coming out...it was the craziest thing ever! They immediately placed her on my stomach and I couldn't believe what had just happened! I was completely in awe. And then I realized she wasn't making any noise, so of course I asked what was wrong and why she wasn't crying. They assured me she would, and shortly thereafter she let out her sweet little cry. Patrick cut the cord, and it was all happening just like I'd imagined...except maybe a little better. :) It was SO surreal!

 

After having some time with her, they took her to clean her up and measure her. 

She was born at 2:11 pm, and was 7 lbs, 13 oz, and 19.5 inches long. Just 4 oz. more than her big brother, but an inch shorter. :) 

In the meantime, the resident, my doctor, and the nurses were taking care of me. Maeva didn't exactly come out smoothly. I'll spare you the details on this one, but they were working to stitch me up. I had been feeling great, but slowly started feeling a little worse. Things were pretty tense at this point as the resident was the main one doing this, and my doctor was supervising. It was taking awhile, and all I knew was the look on Patrick's face was making me nervous. I heard my doctor say I was losing too much blood and they needed to get this finished up. I asked Patrick if everything was okay, and he reassured me it was...but I knew from the look on his face that he was a little concerned. 

 

At some point during all of this, they handed Maeva back to me. She nursed for a bit, then had some more skin to skin time with me. It was so special but I was definitely starting to feel much worse at this point and I was just SO tired.  

I think this picture really captures the moment. I can see some concern on Patrick's face, and I was just worn out but enjoying some cuddles from my sweet girl.

After about an hour and a half, they finished working on me. I was feeling really weak at that point so I gave Maeva to Patrick so I could get some rest. As time went on, I felt more and more out of it. Patrick was concerned about my blood loss, but since he wasn't the doctor he hadn't really paid close attention to the details of everything. However, he thought based on how I was acting I had lost too much blood and wasn't doing well overall. He didn't want to make a big deal out of it or overstep boundaries, so was trying to decide the best way to handle the situation since no one had been back in to see me yet since the delivery. Fortunately right about then the night nurse came on duty, and when she walked into the room and saw me, she immediately knew something was wrong, based on the fact that I was white as a sheet basically. My blood pressure was also extremely low. She called the doctor right away, and they ordered a CBC to see how much blood I'd actually lost.

It ended up I'd lost about half of my blood supply, thus the reason I was so weak and out of it. My doctor ordered a blood transfusion, and by late that night I was starting to feel much better after receiving the transfusion. I remember everything up to her delivery and for about an hour after that really clearly, but the rest of the day is somewhat of a blur. I just was too weak to stay alert and kept drifting in and out of sleep.  Sunday was much better though, and while still weak I felt so much better and wasn't out of it at least, thanks to the transfusion.

My recovery has come with challenges of it's own, but for me, it has been much better than my c-section recovery so far. I'm still very happy with my decision. None of the complications I experienced were related to the fact that I had a VBAC, and fortunately none of these things effected Maeva either. I am so thankful that the Lord had his hand of protection upon both Maeva and I during delivery, and that I had the opportunity to experience a va.ginal birth, even if it was a little eventful. I am just so incredibly thankful to have our little blessing here! 

Maeva's Birth Story: Part 1

I have been wanting to get Maeva's birth story typed up before too much time went by and I forgot the details, but things have just been busy! This is going to be long, so I might end up writing it in a few parts. So here we go!

For those of you that might not know, I had to have a c-section with Manny because he wasn'2010/06/birth-story.html" target="_blank">here if you're interested.) I had a pretty difficult recovery, and when I got pregnant this time I knew I wanted to try for a VBAC (Va.ginal Birth After Ceasarean). I want to start off by saying I don't think there's anything wrong with c-sections or repeat c-sections, but this is just what was best for me and my situation. A lot of thought and prayer went into this decision, and we felt confident that it was the best choice for me personally. While there are risks to it, there are also risks to repeat c-sections, so you are basically just choosing which set of risks you're most comfortable with and determining what is best for you. I never would have pursued this had the Lord not given me peace about doing so. My younger sister has had 2 VBAC's and she was a huge source of encouragement to me. I definitely couldn't have done it without her.

The fact that I was trying for a VBAC meant one thing: no induction of labor. For a VBAC, I needed to go into labor on my own. My doctor would allow me to go to 41.5 weeks before it would be a c-section. I was 40 weeks, 6 days when my water broke, much to my surprise. Here's how the day played out.

It was Friday, May 11th, and I'd been having sporadic contractions for the last several days. At my appointment on Wednesday, I was only dilated about 1 cm and my cervix was still really posterior, so I knew I had a long ways to go. At this point, I honestly thought I would end up having a scheduled c-section on May 16th because I just didn't feel like I was ever going to go into full blown labor. That being said, I was still doing everything in my power to send myself into labor...walking, pumping, and you know....other stuff. None of it seemed to be doing the trick, but maybe all together it actually did something in the end? Who knows.

I decided to meet my friend Megan at the mall Friday morning to get some walking in. We had talked about going to the zoo but it was so hot so we thought the mall would be better. We did some shopping, Manny kept me on my toes, and my contractions continued about every 3-7 minutes apart at this point. We stayed for a little bit, but I eventually decided to head home as I was getting worn out from dealing with Manny and the contractions. I had a feeling at that point that I wouldn't make it through the weekend, and turns out I was right!

We got home, and I put Manny down for a nap, then decided to take a nap myself. My contractions had died down somewhat at this point so I was able to get a little bit of rest. When I woke up from my nap, I felt great and decided that maybe I wasn't going to be having a baby this weekend after all. I started some laundry, and realized in the meantime that I might have wet my pants a little bit. (I know that is gross, but I'm just trying to share the real deal here. Feel free to stop reading if you don't want the details...you know how I am about over-sharing here.) It didn't really cross my mind that it could be my water breaking because it wasn't much at all, and I thought it was just part of all the other weird stuff your body does before going into labor. Plus the only thing I had to compare it to was my water breaking with Manny, and it broke as a result of me being induced and was your text book "gush" that they talk about. So this just didn't really cross my mind as being my water. However, as time went on and I'd have a tad more here and there, I decided to text Patrick and ask his opinion. He was still in clinic, and I didn't want to make a big deal of it as I was sure it wasn't my water. He asked me some questions, and based on my answers he was pretty sure it was my water. So he came home from clinic, and brought some swab deal so he could check and see if it was my water that had broken. And after checking, it appeared that was the case! This test isn't 100% accurate but after examining me he was fairly confident my water had broken, and I was about 3 cm & 50% effaced at that point. So we started making preparations to head to the hospital, and get Manny to Candice's (my best friend) house as she would be keeping him for the night. My mom was on her way down already but I wanted her at the hospital with me for the delivery, so I was so thankful that Candice was able to keep Manny.

This would be the point I started freaking out a little. Not majorly though, because I still wasn't having regular contractions so I wasn't convinced my water had broken. I actually felt pretty good and Patrick was giving me a hard time, telling me to look more in pain or they'd never believe I was in labor when we got to the hospital. Ha! I was mostly freaking out about leaving Manny. I felt SO bad and he knew something was up too, so that kicked my mommy guilt into overdrive. Regardless, I pulled it together and got our stuff all packed up and ready to go.

We drove to Candice's house and took Manny inside to get settled. He knew we were about to leave him and was not happy about it. Luckily Candice was able to distract him by playing with her daughter and we made our escape. He ended up having a great time and it worked out perfectly for him to stay there.

Once we got to the hospital, my mom was already there waiting and we were able to go right back to get checked out. They confirmed my water had broken, so they went ahead and admitted me (I was  about 4 cm at this point). My contractions had slowed down quite a bit again, so it still didn't seem like this was really happening. Once we got back to the room, I asked if I could get out of the bed to do some walking, in hopes that it would help my contractions pick back up. Unfortunately since my water had broken, they said I had to stay in bed. I was not too excited about this as laboring in the flat hospital bed is not that comfortable, and it certainly wasn't going to help my labor progress. The nurse checked with my doctor, and he gave the okay for me to labor on the stability ball and also to pump. So that's what I did (on & off) for the next several hours.

Unfortunately I still wasn't making any progress, even though my contractions had picked back up. When they checked me at about 3:45 am and I still hadn't progressed, we decided it was time for the epidural in hopes that maybe it would allow my body to relax and progress.

After I got the epidural, I was able to sleep for a little bit, which was great. I have to say it was an excellent epidural. I could still move my legs around and even push myself up off the bed. I liked that I still had feeling because it freaked me out on my epidural with Manny when really I couldn't move at all.

Around 7 am, they checked me and I had progressed to 7 cm! SO excited to have made progress as I knew we were running out of time before my 24 hours was up. I was feeling good and just excited to get this show on the road.

They checked me again around 10:30 am, and unfortunately I was still at a 7. Shortly thereafter, several people rushed in my room and put oxygen on me and started repositioning me, etc. Apparently Maeva had some late decels so they were watching her closely and wanted to make sure it didn't happen again. At that point, the resident who was managing my labor came in and said that my doctor was giving me an hour to progress, and if nothing changed then it was back for a c-section.

I'll admit - that resulted in some tears. It came out of nowhere to me, and Maeva was doing fine other than that one small incident so I just wasn't expecting to hear that. I was just emotional because I was in labor (obviously) and had tried so hard for a VBAC to happen. And to make it that far, and the possibility of not having it happen, was a little bit of a disappointment. My mom, Patrick, and I prayed together for peace for the situation. Of course the ultimate goal was to get Maeva here safely, so that's all that mattered. After praying, I felt so much better and knew that whatever the outcome, we would be fine...I was just ready to meet my baby girl!

This is getting really long, so I will try to finish it up and post part 2 tomorrow! :)

Maeva's Newborn Pictures

We had Maeva's newborn pictures taken the day after we came home from the hospital. I knew it was crazy at the time, but our photographer was going out of town so it was either then or when Maeva was a little bit older, and I wanted the pictures to be when she was still super fresh. :) My friend Katie recommended Tulip Tree Photography, and I'm so glad she did! Susan took so many great pictures that it was hard to narrow down our favorites for the birth announcement. I haven't sent those out yet, so I will wait to share those pictures until I do. But in the meantime, here are several other amazing photos Susan took.

 
I just love the way these turned out and am so glad we made the effort to get them done when we did. Susan totally captured our perfect sweet new little baby. :)

If you want to view all the pictures, the Snapfish album of them is here.

Project 366: Week 22

Hi friends! Well life is keeping me a little busy lately, but things are going well. Maeva is already 3 weeks old and we are starting to settle into a routine here, for which I'm very thankful. I have to say that the adjustment to having 2 kids has been much better than I anticipated. Don't get me wrong; it is exhausting at times, but overall I am pleasantly surprised at how well our family has transitioned. That being said, we're just taking it a day at a time, and I know at any given moment I could be singing a different tune. Ha! But seriously, I do feel blessed that we're surviving as well as we are. :)

Maeva is such a sweet little baby and is changing so much each day. Her reflux is much better thanks to some medication. We still have the occasional throw up and rough patches, but they are not near as frequent as they had been. I am just so thankful we found something to help her! I appreciate so much those of you who commented or emailed me to share about your experiences with reflux. It's always helpful & encouraging to hear from other mom's who've gone through the same thing.

And then we have Manny. Oh Manny. He continues to work on his title as Big Brother of the Year. He is always ready to lend a helping hand, whether it be changing her diaper or trying to nurse her. He hasn't really hurt her yet, though he's come close. He LOVES to lay (lie?) next to her on the floor, and is toying with the idea of rolling over onto her. He always looks at me as he slowly starts to roll. So far I've been able to stop him, but I know it's just a matter of time before he tries to make a pancake out of her. He is still so interested in her and I know I'll never accidentally forget her at home, because he freaks out if I try to even walk out the door without her for a second. Sometimes I'll try to load him in the car first, then come back to get her, but he won't have it. He goes over to her seat and tries to drag it along while frantically looking at me and shouting "Bebe!!?! Bebe?!?!" like I've lost my mind.

Maeva has been spoiled with so many amazing gifts lately! And the fun things is? Lots of these things are from sweet friends I've made through blogging! If you told me 3 years ago that I'd make so many great friends through "the internets" I would've laughed in your face and said that is only for crazies. Seriously though, I'm so touched by everyone's generosity & love for our precious girl. I love that this little blog has brought so many friendships into my life. And I'm not just saying that because of the gifts. Ha!! :) Tiffany sent Maeva a sock monkey lovey, because she said she figured MB needed a sock monkey of her own. It is so cute and Manny loves it too! Candace sent some adorable flower clippies with a hat and headband, and they look so precious on MB! Miranda sent an adorable little gown, and Ashley sent a sweet shirt and ruffle bloomer set. And we can't forget my Aunt Babs, who is not a blogger (though you should totally start one Babs!) but sent me this fun little "Mrs. Sock T. Pus". Have you ever seen such cuteness?!

Yesterday I got another fun surprise in the mail from my friend Katie! Katie and I go way back. We've been internet friends over 6 years! How do I remember how long ago we met online? Well, we met via The Knot while we were planning our weddings. We got married within about a month of each other, and she had the most gorgeous beach wedding. But I digress. How adorable is this print she sent me with Maeva's birth info?! I've been wanting one of these, and it matches her room perfectly, including the adorable navy frame. She also sent a onesie with some cute pins to attach to it. Isn't that a fun idea? I just love it! 

And to make my day even better, my friend Katie brought us dinner last night! She also brought along some sweet gifts for Maeva and Manny, as well as flowers for me. Isn't that so thoughtful?! And of course...it wouldn't be a playdate with Manny without him busting out his hats. How cute is the little fedora club?! It was great to have her and her precious girls hang out for a bit.
 
I'm telling you...I'm really feeling the love these days. Thank you SO much to those of you who have sent gifts, brought dinner, called, texted, commented, or emailed to see how we're doing. It really does mean so much to us! We are so blessed to be surrounded by awesome family and friends (that includes all of you internet people too!) who care so much for our sweet little family. Group hug!! :)